Table with detachable tray



May 24, 1955 E. s. TUTTLE TABLE WITH DETAGHABLE TRAY Filed Sept. 29,1954 INVENTOR. [oz men 6. 72/771 E BY 6 m 4% /W ATTORNEY.

United States Patent TABLE WITH DETACHABLE TRAY Edward S. Tuttle, LongBeach, Ind., assignor to Harvell Manufacturing Corporation, Hubbard,Ohio, :1 corporation of Ohio Application September 29, 1954, Serial No.459,183

2 Claims. (Cl. 311-83) This invention relates to a table with detachabletray. More particularly, the invention relates to a collapsible tableusing a tray as the top thereof and a pair or" pivoted crossed leg unitsas the supporting means therefor, the same being collapsible tosubstantially flat form.

Tray tables of this general type have been known and have universallybeen characterized by arrangements in which a tray mounts a bracket orclip permanently and this clip or bracket is employed to hold the trayin place on the leg, at the same time accommodating release of one sideof the tray from the supporting leg structure so that the leg structuremay be folded to compact form and the tray may be swung to a positionparallel to the collapsed legs. Rivets or other means are required forthe purpose of anchoring the clip or bracket to the tray, and the rivetheads detract from the appearance of the tray. The rivets usually arelocated in the bottom or central part of the tray so that the bottom ofthe tray is interrupted by the heads. The use of the rivets limits theusefulness of the device by preventing use of the tray separately fromthe supporting legs.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a tray tablehaving novel means for detachably interconnecting a tray with thesupporting leg structure to effectively hold a tray on the top of theleg structure so as to maintain the structure in erected position, whichis releasable readily to permit disengagement of the tray from at leastone of the leg structures to accommodate folding of the leg structure,and which serves also as a pivot to accommodate swinging of a traystructure connected to one leg structure relative to that leg structure.

A further object is to provide a tray table having a tray with an offsetcurved margin adapted to bear against a tubular run of a leg unit to besupported thereon, and a spring clip rotatably mounted upon the run andengageable with the tray detachably to slide over the margin of the trayto eifectively interconnectthe run and the margin, or to disengage thesame at will.

A further object is to provide a spring clip adapted for use inconnecting a tray to a leg unit, which is characterized by a partcircular portion to fit around the leg and to pivot thereon, and by aconfigured portion adapted to engage over and bear substantially flatagainst a curved edge portion of a tray.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the tray table in erected position;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the tray table in erected position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 33 ofFig. 2 and illustrating the relation of the spring clip to the margin ofthe tray and to a run of the leg structure;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the spring clip inreleased position; and

'ice

Fig. 5 is an end view of the tray table in its collapsed position.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the numeral 10 designates the supporting structure; thenumeral 12 designates the tray top; and the numeral 14 designates thespring clips which constitute the parts of my new tray table.

The supporting structure 10 is preferably formed from two substantiallyU-shaped members, pr ferably formed of light weight tubular metal stock.Thus each of the leg units includes an intermediate run or portion 16and a pair of leg-forming end portions 18 extending in substantiallyright angles to the run portion and in a common plane. As bestillustrated in Fig. 2, the intermediate portion 16 of one of theleg-forming units will be shorter than the intermediate portion of theother legforming unit so that one of the leg units may fit within theother. It will be understood that this is not essential, however, andthat the legs of the runs 16 of the two leg units may be substantiallyequal, in which event the leg units will be arranged in somewhatstaggered relation instead of in the interfitting relation illustratedin Fig. 2. The leg-forming portions 18 are pivotally interconnectedintermediate their length at 20 in alignment so that the two leg-formingunits may swing from the angularly disposed relation illustrated in Fig.l to the substantially parallel or compact relation illustrated in Fig.5.

The tray 12 is preferably formed of metal and has a central portion 22which is substantially flat and a curved offset marginal portion 24extending continuously therearound and preferably terminating in aninturned beaded or curled edge portion 26. The overall length of thetray 12 will preferably be substantially equal to the overall length ofthe leg units in a horizontal direction. The offset margin 24 willpreferably be of a width at least equal to or preferably slightlygreater than the cross-sectional dimension of the tubing 16, as bestillustrated in Fig. 3 and 4, so that the tubing may seat between thebead 26 and the central bottom panel 22 along the two longitudinal edgesof the tray to afford support of the tray substantially full lengththereof.

Each of the tubular members 16 of the support 10 carries at least onespring clip 14. The spring clips 14 are preferably formed from sheetmetal having a crosssectional shape or configuration as best illustratedin Fig. 3. Thus one end portion of each clip 14 is bent to substantiallyarcuate or part circular configuration at 30. The curvature of theportion 30 is preferably such that the interior radius thereofsubstantially conformswith the exterior of the tube 16 to providesubstantially continuous engagement between the portion 30 of the clipand the tube 16 throughout the full length of the portion 30 of theclip. The extent of the arcuate portion 30 of the clip is illustrated inFigs. 3 and 4 as being slightly less than an arc of 180 deg, but this isunderstood to be illustrative, and its extent may be greater than 180deg. or somewhat less than illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The clip isbent reversely at 32 on an arc of comparatively small radius through anextent of approximately deg. The portion 32 merges with a substantiallyarcuate portion 34 of approximately deg. in extent. The radius, ofcurvature of the inner face of arcuate portion 34 substantially conformswith the radius of curvature of the outer surface of the head 26 of thetray. The remaining portion 36 of the length of the clip extendssubstantially tangentially from portion 34 and is bent to substantiallyconform with the transverse curvature of the offset portion 24 of thetray, as best seen in Fig. 3, and terminates in an outturned lip portion38. The clip 14 is preferably formed of thin gauge sheet spring metalstock.

In the erected position of the tray table, the runs 16 of the legportions engage the lower concave surfaces of the margins 24 of the trayat opposite sides of the tray, and at least one clip at each side of thetray and at each of the runs 16 serves to interconnect the tray with thesupport 10. The relation of the clip 14 to the tray and support, whileserving to hold the same in operative position, is illustrated in Fig.3, from which it will be seen that the portion 36 extends insubstantially continuous contact with the upper surface of the curvedmarginal portion of the tray. The portion 34 passes around and insubstantially continuous contact with thebead 26 of the tray, and theportion 30 of the clip extends in substantially continuous contact withthe run 16 of the supporting structure. The parts are so related thatthe portion 30 of the clip is substantially diametrically opposed to theportion 36 of the clip, and the clip serves to draw and hold together inthe Fig. 3 position the tray and the support run 16 and to resistdisplacement thereof. Thus lateral displacement of the runs 16 in anoutward direction is resisted by both the head 26 of the tray and theportions 30, 32 of the clip, as well as by portion 26 of the clip whichengages the margin of the tray. Movement in an inward direction of theruns 16 relative to the tray is resisted by the free end portion 30 ofthe clip, as illustrated at the left in Fig. 3, and by the curvature ofthe tray itself. The combination of the spring action, coupled with theconfiguration of the clip to conform with the configuration ofthe trayand the runs 16 of the support, holds the tray firmly in position uponthe support and also resists pivoting of the two support units about thepivot axis 20 thereof when both runs 16 of the support are connected tothe tray by the clips. Consequently, the tray is held firmly and thetable is solid and will support substantial weight thereon even thoughretainedin place solely through the functioning of only two spring clips14, as seen in Fig. 1. It will be understood that more than two suchclips may be employed if desired.

When it is desired to collapse the tray table from the position shown inFig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 5, one of the spring clips 14 isreleased from the tray by rotating the same about the run 16 from theposition shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4 in which themid portion of clip part 36 and clip part 30 engage and grip the tubularrun 16. Distortion of the spring clip is required for this purpose, andsuch distortion occurs at the portion 36 thereof which is grasped orengaged at its end portion 38 for that purpose. In other words, a usercan pressendwise and upwardly against the portion 38 in a manner torelease the portion 36 from engagement with the tray and facilitaterotation of the clip portion 34) or bodily sliding of the clip portion30 around the circumference of the runs 16 until the clip has completelydisengaged the tray. Upon disengagement of one of the clips from thetray, the support portion 10 is free to pivot about its axis 20, as tothe position illustrated in Fig. 5, in which the runs 16 are located atopposite ends of a collapsed leg structure, so that the leg structurelies substantially flat. The tray 12 can swing freely and bodilyrelative to the run 16 to which it remains connected by a clip 14, asillustrated at the top in Fig. 5, and thereby can move to a positionsubstantially flush with the leg structure so that it can be storedalong with the supporting structure as a unit in a very small space. Inthis connection, as seen in Fig. 5, when the leg structure to which thetray remains connected by one clip in the Fig. 5 position is such that 4its leg portions 18 are spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing ofthe opposite end marginal portions of the tray, those end margins maybear substantially flat against the leg portion 18, as seen in Fig. 5,so that the overall width of the collapsed unit will be quite narrow.

The two spring clips 14 are preferably of similar construction and,consequently, either one or both or all thereof may be disconnected atwill, thus making possible the complete separation of the tray from thesupport, so that the tray may be used independently of its supportingstructure if that is desired.

One of the important considerations and advantages of this invention isthe fact that by making possible the complete separation of the trayfrom the supporting leg structure, the use of rivets is eliminated.Consequently, the use of rivets as detracting from the appearance of thetray or as forming interruptions to the normal fiat bottom surface ofthe tray, as in conventional prior constructions, is eliminated.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it will be understood that changes in the construction may bemade within the scope of the appended claims without departing from thespirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A table comprising a support including a pair of parallel horizontalmembers of substantially circular cross-sectional shape, a tray having atransversely configured upwardly oifset marginal rim, and a pair ofclips each detachably connecting a rim of said tray in sup portedengagement on one of said support members, each clip comprising a springmetal plate having curved end portions and an intermediate connectingportion, one of said end portions being substantially part of a circleand fitting snugly and rotatably around a portion of said supportmember, the other curved end portion being disposed opposite saidpart-circular portion with its concave surface confronting the concavesurface of said part-circular portion and being of a shape substantiallyconforming with the top convex surface of said tray rim to overlie saidtray rim and hold it yieldingly in engagement with said support, theintermediate portion of said clip projecting out of the outline of saidpart-circular clip portion and merging substantially tangentially withsaid other curved clip portion and extending around the edge of saidrim, a mid portion of said other curved clip end portion beingsubstantially diametrically opposed to and spaced from the mid portionof said part-circular clip portion to engage and grip said supportmember when said tray is removed therefrom.

2. A table as defined in claim 1 wherein the width of said tray rim isgreater than the cross-sectional diameter of said support member, andthe edge of the tray is defined by a downturned head around which saidintermediate clip portion fits.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS369,663 Swaney Sept. 6, 1887 1,496,388 Stern June 3, 1924 2,020,585Stansberry Nov. 12, 1935 2,278,691 Cotter Apr. 7, 1942 2,514,735 Wilsonet al July 11, 1950 2,547,420 Sumner Apr. 3., 1951 2,666,681 Adler Jan.19, 1954 2.675,286 Derman Apr. 13, 1954

